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Another educational but fun musical toy from LeapFrog

My boys toy boxes are brimming full of toys but that doesn't seem to stop us buying more of them. Mr Lools and I try not to purchase too many but there are occasions when we see bargains and can't help but treat our boys. One of these "treats" was the LeapFrog Learn and Groove Kids Piano.

***Leapfrog Learn and Groove Kids Piano***The Leapfrog Learn and Groove Kids Piano is a yellow and blue plastic piano with 4 different piano keys. In the centre of the piano is a circular mirror. The piano is 23cm high and 20cm wide and 19cm deep. The piano has four keys. These are white and about 2cm wide by 5cm deep. Each of the keys has a different colour shape on it and plays a different key when in music mode. The keys are a red circle, green triangle, blue square and yellow star.

The toy has three modes of play which include learning mode, melody and free play. The toy is suitable for children from aged 6 months. It requires 2 size AA batteries which are not included when you purchase this toy.

The Leapfrog Learn and Groove Kids Piano is available from Argos, Tesco, Amazon and Boots. Prices vary but Argos are currently selling this toy for £10.99. We purchased this toy for Argos when it was on special offer and paid £20 for this and another £14 toy therefore made a very reasonable saving.

***Playing with it*** Like most children's toys the piano comes in a large box complete with lots of ties keeping it in place. After 5 minute of taking off the ties you need a small screwdriver to open the battery compartment put the batteries in then close firmly again.

The toy has three different switches which operate the mode, language and volume of the toy. The first switch on the left hand side selects which language the toy is in and you have the choice of English or French. This switch slides up for French and down for English. The second switch is like a sliding scale and the point furthest left is off, the next point is learning mode, then melody and free play. The switch on the right hand side of the piano is the volume switch. The bottom position is half volume and the top position is full volume. I set this to half volume as the full volume setting is too loud. With all of the buttons I have found them to be quite stiff. My boys at 18 month old do not have the strength to move the volume and language switches but can push the mode switch although this does take quite a lot of effort for a small child to do.

When switched on the piano makes varies sounds depending on the mode. Around the circular mirror is a light up section which flashes yellow when keys are pressed.

When set in learning mode when your child presses the keyboard keys a voice repeats the name of the shape and colour in a clear English voice. The repetition is very good for learning and unlike many toys if the child keeps a hold of the key the voice fully repeats the words and does not cut out.

In melody mode when you press keys tunes are played and the lights around the mirror flash up yellow.

In free play each of the four keys when pressed plays a different note from high to low so your child can make their own tunes.

What I like about this toy is that it is like the majority of Leapfrog toys, colourful fun but educational. My boys love playing with this toy and take real enjoyment out of it but I also feel they are developing and learning about colours and shapes. In the three months we have been playing with this I can see my boys really developing When I ask my sons to press a certain colour key they can do. The repetition of the colours and shapes help children to learn.

I do feel that although this toy is "safe" for children of 6 months old as there are no parts which could come off or would cause injury. I would say parents will need to supervise when they are playing with the piano just so babies do not pull this onto their head as it is heavy. It is very easy for babies when they are on their tummies to pull plastic toys over onto themselves which can cause injury and screams. From experience I have encountered this a number of times with my boys with toys that state "suitable from 4 months". For children over 2 years old I do feel that this is a little bit basic and babyish. When my friends come to visit with their children the kids over 2 years old do not really show any interest to this toy. My boys at 18 month old really enjoy this toy and currently are able to press the correct coloured key when you ask them to . (for example can you press the red key). We are not quite perfected on shapes yet but are getting there.

The bilingual aspect of the toy is also very good but in all honesty we have not used this yet and probably will not.

Like most LeapFrog toys the Learn and Groove Piano is very durable and has withstood rough play from my boys over the last 3 months which has included being dropped and other toys thrown onto it. The shiny hard plastic the toy is made from makes it easy to wipe over with a cloth but you do need to take care that food and dirt gets trapped in between the keys and you need to really get in between these keys with a cloth to get dirt out of these sections.

***Overall***For £10.99 this is an excellent toy for children over 6 months old. The toy is bright, colourful and educational and allows children to make music. The mirror in the centre of the keyboard also adds to the fun factor of the toy especially for younger babies who love to see their reflection.

I do feel that although this toy is "safe" for children of 6 months old I would say parents will need to supervise when they are playing with the piano just so babies do not pull this onto their head as it is heavy.

I wish we had bought this toy when my boys were a little younger. At 18 months old they find the toy fun and the learning functions on this toy are perfect for them but the piano is rather basic and babyish and by the age of 2 I feel they will prefer an actual keyboard or piano with more keys rather than this very basic piano.